Nikon 500mm TELEPHOTO PRIME lens comparison - NEW vs VINTAGE / I'M ONLY KEEPING ONE
In this video I compare two of my own 500mm prime Nikon lenses - the f5.6 PF vs f4 P. Love them both, each for different reasons, but I decided to only keep one. I share why and how I came to buy each and do a direct comparison of center and corner sharpness between f5.6 to f16. Then I add the Nikon TC20e Mark III 2x teleconverter and compare f11 and f16 on both.
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movember.com/m/michaeltomas?mc=1
Watch this after - I went to London's View from the Shard with my 500mm PF and 2x teleconverter for 1,000MM focal length equivalent photos and videos:
• View from the Shard wi...
Equipment used in this video :
Nikon Z6 body - amzn.to/2ywOIOF
Nikon 500mm f5.6 PF - amzn.to/3a2eJm8
Nikon 500mm f4 P - search on eBay
Vlog and studio lens:
Nikon Z 20mm F1.8S amzn.to/3ifiIAL
NiSi 82mm Variable ND Filter 1.5-5 Stops Enhance ND-VARIO - amzn.to/2yAmpPx
Audio:
RØDE Wireless Go - amzn.to/3dWVi10
RØDE Lavalier GO - amzn.to/2x5K7Tl
RØDE Microphones NT-USB Mini - amzn.to/3lNn9UX
Mindshift 36L backpack - amzn.to/3e4fM8q
For photos, timelapse one-offs and behind the scenes - follow me on instagram :
/ londonviewpoints
Music via Epidemic Sound
#500mmPF #500mmF4 #telephoto
Always liked the look of the coloured coating on the front of the old Nikkor lenses.
It does look cool, cooler then the PF for sure, oh I miss it already
Great review! Appreciate it!
Thank you ☺️
Really good! Nice video🤩🤩
Thank you
I have the 500mm p f/4 and love it! I have a 1x6 tc modified and it will auto focus when it is near focus. It is heavy especially with my D 3s but its OK for me. It has eyes on the lens to hook a shoulder strap to it. So for me its all I need for my wildlife shoots. Great video!
I do miss my 500P😭especially at night for the sun stars, but definitely not at daytime vs the 500PF😜
hey what a front filter diametre this lens have ?
What is tc1.6 modified? Please share link
Thats truly massive lens and produces beautiful sun stars.
Yep, and I’m already missing it 😭
Wonder when Nikon will launch a lens of that length for the newer Z series. Was just looking on their website and it's to be announced but who knows when for the S-line
Could take a few years though, don’t think it’ll be too soon, but one that I’m mostly interested from the S line is the 100-400👍🏻
Hi Michael, Perfect timing! I am looking for a 500mm prime. I have the 200-500mm and at 500mm it is crap. Thanks again for the session last year with Shane - re time lapse.
Hey Dave, for timelapses the old vintage ones are perfect but then if you do happen to have a spare 3600 then the PF is a brilliant lens too. Hope it’s going all well with your timelapsing 👍🏻😀
@@LondonViewpoints Hi Michael, Getting a 500 PF next week from Nikon Canada to try. I think it will be great for my future projects that are more landscape and wildlife related. Time lapse is coming along but having a lot of fun with the drone lately.
Is the 200-500 really crap at 500? So many reviewers claim a slight difference between 500pf in image quality. I’m in the middle of trying to decide. $3600 is huge but then $1400 is a lot to throw away.
@@readitoutloud Hi there, Well it is soft at 500mm and it vigs which can be corrected in software. Really boils down individual tolerances for sharp vs not so sharp. Perhaps buy a used one to try and if you don't like it, sell for what you paid ... or sometimes more. I turned a slight profit on mine so it is possible.
@@davehutchisonphotography yea 500 that’s where I need sharp. So I’ll get a 300 f4 pf for cheap used. Then save up for 500pf.
Older Nikkor Lenses are just in a class all their own. The glass is amazing.
They are indeed, but new is superior in detail and resolution, but vintage just had the look
I have just buy a 500 p f4 after viewing your post. Thank you for sharing your experience... And Yes indeed big havy bulky lens😁 Bernard
Oh wow, so pleased to hear this, apologies for the late reply, how are you finding your 500 P ?
@@LondonViewpoints hi, 500p second hands in super conditions, I bought also a Manfrotto 405 head for easier framing and focusing ( I nearly use this lens only with live view 100% to set sharpness, and self timer 5 seconds mirror up for no vibrations. So image quality? I can't compair with other super tele... But f8 - f11 is OK for my existence 📷 the 500 possibilities of framing with compression is 🌞, sometimes a 400mm should be enough. I also have a 180mm 2.8... An the others. the weight of all that quiver is quite heavy so I stay fit! During the winter, I'll certainly use a sledge
@@bernardfranck1318 haha a sledge sounds perfect for the kit in winter ☺️ enjoy
I've the 300mm f4 PF and love it, I'd love to add the 500mm f5.6 PF.
The 300mm pf is really nice, never done the video while I had it but really loved it
wonderers, i've gone into lockdown where I live and need ideas on what to do with all my free time. what do you all get up to?
@@user-wv1wg1yb1n I’m busy reviewing some new gear so expect new videos soon 😀👍🏻
Unreal!!!
I know right, the moustache look is da shizzle😜
I’m a mere amateur but I jumped over all the in between lenses and purchased the 500pf a few months ago along with a D500 and I am so pleased I did. The details of bird feathers are amazing and just what I was looking for. I use a G9 with P/L lenses for my travel photography but I just could not get these kind of results with that equipment for BIF. I enjoyed your London photographs a few months ago of the London riverfront near Tower Bridge. Your photos provided an interesting Shard panoramic perspective we could not attain while attending the 2019 start of the Clipper Round the World sailing regatta. Thank you for the lens review.
Yes I do love my 500PF too, thanks a lot for the kind words. I’m sure it’s a great combo with the D500 👍🏻Glad you enjoy my videos ☺️
Have a 4/500 P too, which works well with my D3s but unfortunately not with my Z6 : the collimator is always red when focusing... no help to focus... too bad...
It’s a great lens, for me it was always for cityscapes where I could take all the time to Mail focus manually by digitally zooming in, but since getting the PF I have sold it, and quite frankly I’m missing it
Like the starbursts and price point of the P but yeah I’d never carry it anywhere 😂. Better that you sold it than sitting in its box for another year! 👌🏼
That’s exactly why I miss it already but it just had to be done 😔
Interesting review thank you. I have the 500 PF having coughed up £3600 for it. I took it to Antartica and was not disappointed . I shot a pod of orcas from a ship that was rolling, hand held and got great results. So happy with it.
That lens is worth it’s price for sure 👍🏻
That Piccadilly time-lapse reminds me of Koyaanisqatsi.
Never seen it but upon a quick Google is seems to be a legendary movie, so pretty proud that you say it reminds you of it☺️
If I were to shoot the 500 f4 p at f8 and the 200-500 at f8, how would you say the center sharpness compares. Would you say the f4 p is the same, slightly sharper, or noticeably sharper in the center than the 200-500, once again when both are shot at f8? Thanks for any reply.
Haven’t compared them, most likely in the center they’d be similar especially at f8, but at night the 500P even at f8 will have much nicer sunstar effect on all lights, that’s the main thing I miss about this lens after selling it😭
@@LondonViewpoints Thanks for the reply. I shoot mainly wildlife, and I have been debating whether it's worth it to buy an older 500 P prime. I have a Sigma 150-600, and it shoots really sharp photos, but in wildlife photography sharp is never sharp enough. Anyway, sounds like the older prime isn't really much sharper than the newer tele super zooms.
Man you need to do this video again when the air quality index is cleaner lol!
Yes I should be , unfortunately I’ve sold the 500 P now, only keep the PF one🤷🏼♂️
What about the hood for the 500mm f4?
It wasn’t sunny so I didn’t bother
Thank you, very much, for this excellent comparison video! I'm trying to decide between the 500 f5.6PF, and the 200-500 f5.6, and really appreciate your taking the time to share your thoughts and experiences with one of the lenses I'm considering. Thank you, also, for doing the Movember event! I, too, am doing that worthy fund-raiser, and have done so for 9 years. This year, I'm dying my 'stache black, and orange. These colors were chosen by last year's highest donor! Last year, it was blue and red, chosen by the high donor from the year before! Hopefully, and by God's Grace, our efforts will lead to a cure for prostate cancer, and maybe even ALL cancers! Keep up the good work, and thanks, again! God Bless! - Doc
Thanks a lot, and well done on 9 years of Movemebr that’s great effort. Also I’m still loving my 500pf it’s just the best🤩
So what the outcome is haveing the right tool for the job in hand ✋️
Yes the lighter 500 pf is my choice for my work
I think would rather have the Nikon 500mm 4.0 D AF-S II and the Sony 200-600mm 5.6-6.3 G OSS for the change, instead of just the 500mm 5.6E PF VR. The 500mm 4.0 will still AF with a 2x on a DSLR's I'm still using.
It’s a personal choice, sure, but I’d have no use for a Sony 🤷🏼♂️if I got that 500/4 it’d barely ever get used, same size as my previous one, and I didn’t like the quality from the nikon 200-500/5.6, nowhere near the 500pf, hence I’d rather have one, a good lightweight and always in my bag lens
I'm not a professional photographer. Have Canon and Nikon DSLR bodies and a Sony MIL camera. And I try to get the lenses I like the most from each system. The Nikon 80-400mm is probably sharper than the 200-500mm 5.6E which isn't a gold ring (professional) type of lens. I think there are FE to Z AF adapters, and my guess Nikon's will soon introduce their alternative to Sony's 200-600 and Canon 100-500 lenses. I understand many people love the PF lenses for high IQ and portability, it's just that the 500mm 5.6 is quite expensive new or used. Still big kudos to Nikon for trying something different. I guess the 200-600 is probably quite bigger than the 500 PF, but the weight of 2kg is still reasonable. Personally, don't have trouble carrying around my Canon 300mm 2.8L IS, at 2.8kg I think. If I get the 500mm 4.0D II for which was looking a review, I think at 3.4Kg it's not a huge difference, but time will tell.
@@TheGreatLoco if you only ever carry a huge backpack and can put up with the size and weight than of course the f4 primes will be superior, I like to take my 500pf to my peak messenger and I could never otherwise do that with a faster prime. The nikon z 200-600 does indeed look intriguing , hence I wouldn’t want to bother with Sony via an adapter even though I’ve heard they work quite well
@@LondonViewpoints Though, the FTZ is also an adapter. But good news, older DSLR and MIL camera are much less expensive than ever before. MIL cameras and pressure from smartphones first made DSLR drop their prices, then Sony, Olympus had to follow suit with their older models. Keeping it all same brand in cameras and lenses, brings more consistency with images, optimizes the number of lenses, also for flashes and teleconverters, but one has far more options having cameras for different systems.
@@TheGreatLoco if I could and have a valid commercial reason, like a big paid video job or something , I’d get the A7S3 in an instance and one or two lenses for it, while for now I’m jsut happy with my Z6 and all the native and some F Mount lenses and some old vintage Nikon AI ones I have too
I have the 500 f4 d ed swm two moths ago at £700 would seem a good buy and I don't see how it could be sharper than it appears to be even with the 1.4e 11 on it with apc nikon 7100 there trying to fix what wasn't broke and produce cheaper but charge more for less . Just saying
Im rally not sure what you were trying to explain there 🤷🏼♂️
I got 500mm f/4P IF-ED Nikkor AIS never used, I paid only £650
If yours is in good quality DM me and I’ll buy it back off you 😉
Not using hood is a big mistake not shooting in to su. So much problem its when reflecting of glass to the side will be an issue as well as other lights your copy may be soft and with no hood you may expect soft just saying
When im shooting directly into the sun at sunrise or sunset I don’t think a good makes any difference, does it ?
@LondonViewpoints probly not but from memory don't think you were only talking about that sinareo
very thorough, a bit winding.
Thanks, I try to be thorough but still working on being concise
Christmas lights crap no color game over ibmean they were really crap
🤷🏼♂️
Thats truly massive lens and produces beautiful sun stars.
Yeah please don’t tell me that 😭I’m already missing it and crying inside that I sold it
@@LondonViewpoints ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨🌄🌅☀️🌞⭐🌟